Jeremy Piven on Resurrecting Ari for the Entourage Movie: "I Really Had Left Him Behind"

It's been three years since Entourage went off the air, so even star Jeremy Piven admits he was a bit surprised to learn he would be revisiting the character of Ari Gold in the upcoming Entourage film."I really had left ...

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By TV Guide

Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

By TV Guide

Posted Jan. 20, 2014 at 5:50 PM

By TV Guide

Posted Jan. 20, 2014 at 5:50 PM

It's been three years since Entouragewent off the air, so even star Jeremy Piven admits he was a bit surprised to learn he would be revisiting the character of Ari Gold in the upcoming Entourage film.

"I really had left him behind and was embracing, am embracing, this entire journey. So, it required me to be a little schizophrenic," Piven told reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association winter previews.

Since logging eight seasons, and winning three Emmys, for his portrayal of the intense A-list Hollywood agent, Piven has kept busy, particularly with his starring role on Mr. Selfridge, which returns for its second season on Sunday, March 30 on PBS. In Piven's eyes, the two characters could not be more different.

"Ari Gold to play was incredibly taxing. If you're yelling for 12 to 14 hours a day and breaking computers, your body think it's real," he said. "It's been really great to play Harry because he has this huge heart."

Unlike the character of Harry Selfridge, which is based on the real-life founder of Selfridge & Co. department stores, Ari Gold is "all bark and no bite," Piven said. "Whereas Harry, at work, he couldn't be more professional" despite his personal indiscretions such as cheating on his wife. "His bite is worse than his bark," Piven said of Harry. "They're ultimately polar opposites of each other."

Despite the differences between the two characters, Piven called the Entourage film script "really good" and said he was ready to step back into the modern-day designer shoes and custom-made suits of Ari Gold. "I'll jump back in," he said. "I can't tell you too much about what happens in that particular world because we have to fly under the radar on that one, but I look forward to it."

Mr. Selfridge returns on Sunday, March 30 at 9/8c on PBS. Are you excited for the Entourage movie?